How to Become a Power Networker: Part One

How to Become a Power Networker: Part One

Why
do people network?Some expect to
establish contacts that will help them advance in their careers.Others are looking for new friends or a
sports partners.Others, believe it or
not, simply do it because they like people.Whatever your reason is, networking has the potential to improve the
quality of your life by helping you find others who will help you advance your
objectives.

Before
you decide to refine your networking skills it is important to decide what your
objectives are.Aimlessly meeting and
talking with people is rarely productive and is sure to become arduous and
tedious over the long haul.You need to
figure out what your expectations are and how they can be achieved.Once you do this, you are in a position to
build and maintain a network of professional and personal contacts.

You
can meet new people, increase the quality of your relationships, find a new
job, become better informed through your contacts and -- well, the sky is the
limit.You simply have to decide what
your goals are -- and then develop a plan to achieve them. It’s all a matter of
how wide you cast your net and in which direction.

Identify Your Network.Your network like almost all networks is
dynamic.It is constantly changing,
growing or shrinking based on your activities and the way you interact with
people you have met or are meeting while out in the big, wide world.

Networks
increase access to information, development opportunities, support and
influence. If you are being proactive and not leaving things to happenstance,
chances are you are exchanging information with others, finding sources for new
business, making new friends, and cultivating and building relationships you
already have.

As
a networker, you have the potential to not only draw on your own circle of
influence (that’s all the people you know or have met or are connected to from
your entire life) but the circles of influence of all the people you know.
Chances are you’d need a calculator to figure out how many people that is.If you extrapolated that number out past your
secondary circle of influence to your tertiary circle of influence --and that
it still a group of people you can potentially reach -- you’d need a computer
to figure out how many people you might have access to! The sheer numbers here
suggest power.And we’re going to
explore how to tap into that source of power.

Have a Strategic Plan. Take
stock. What do you want from your network? Are you looking for new
friends?Do you want more business?How can building your network help you
achieve your goals?Once you answer
these questions you will have a direction in which to proceed.Be honest with yourself.Networking is work.No one has the time or energy for false
starts.

Networking
is also a two way street.You need to
understand that you have to help others and be available to support them if you
expect them to be there for you.What do
you have to give?What are you prepared
to give?Understand from the get-go that
you need to put yourself out to others to help them in order to engender the
kind of respect and reciprocity you would like.This is not an issue of quid pro quo.It’s a matter of liking people and wanting to help others.It is easy to identify a networker who is
purely self-serving -- and that’s not the way you want others to identify you.

Target People You Want to Meet.Make a list of people you know. That is your present
circle of influence.Now identify gaps
in your network to help you figure out who you would like to meet. Think about
why you want to meet them, how you can help them and how they, potentially, can
help you.Once you know who you would
like to meet you can put together a plan on how to go about meeting them. You
are about to embark on a lifelong strategy to build relationships for work,
fun, and mutual benefit.

Do
your homework.Know something about the
people you would like to meet and how you might come into contact with them.
Who do you know in common?What events
do they go to?Where do they work
out?Decide what organizations you would
like to join and who you might be able to connect with there.Figure out not only what the organization has
to offer but what you can potentially accomplish at individual events and all
the events on their calendar. Know in advance of going to a meeting who you
want to approach (and don’t forget the speaker).

Make
a point of meeting people from as many different worlds as you can.People in other industries. People from other
countries.People of different
faiths.People with different
interests.You will not only increase
your probability of meeting other people from those worlds, you will be in a
position to make strategic introductions for your friends and business
associates.When you help others it is
inevitable that you will find yourself on the winning side as well.

Learn from the Experts. Did
you ever wonder how the rich and powerful got to be the rich and powerful?
Sure, some of them were born into it. But many figure out how to gain entrance
to the elite club, and it isn’t by being a wallflower.Some go to schools where they get great
educations and make the acquaintance of others who help them on their journey
to the top.Others join clubs where they
can hobnob with contacts who help them.Some join city and country clubs to make great contacts.Political fundraisers can be fruitful.And then, there is always flying first
class.This group may not be your
target, but it does provide a sense of how the network thing is done.

Find the RightPlaces to
Network. Networking is an activity that requires planning to be successful.
You need to identify networks in which you would like to participate and then
devise a way to access those networks. This can be achieved by joining formal
or informal networks. Formal networks include professional institutes and
organizations, business organizations, and industry groups. Informal networks
include conferences and business retreats, sports and social clubs -- even
attending parties and social hours.

Your
job is to match your interests and objectives with the plethora of networking
opportunities that are available.All
you have to do is figure out in which areas you want to expand your circle of
contacts.Then you find groups that
match the demographics you are looking for. Potential places to network
include:

·Chambers of
Commerce

·Business clubs
and organizations

·Professional
institutes and organizations

·Industry Groups

·Social and
service clubs

·Volunteer groups
and charitable organizations

·Community
organizations and special-interest groups

·Faith
organizations – synagogues, churches, etc.

·Neighborhood
organizations

·Meetup groups

·Linkedin and
other online groups

Whatever
you do, remember it is not enough to simply join these groups.You have to get involved. Getting involved requires time but it is time
well spent.You will meet new people,
make new friends and contacts, and be seen as a person who is interested and
can be depended upon. That will over time help you achieve your networking
goals.In the meantime, you will be
enjoying a rewarding experience that enriches your life as well as the lives of
the people you touch.